PCSO Hannah Denton urged people to report any suspicious vehicles, particularly vans, and advised people to consider taking further security precautions.

“Please contact police with as much details as possible and remember that suspicious activity does not just occur during the night,” she said.

“Even though home and business owners have placed secure padlocks, offenders have cut through them to gain entry to the buildings and have their pick of property from inside.

“Closed shackle padlocks are available that leave less scope for them to be cut. Mark your property with a clear identification mark, which cannot be erased easily. Use your house name or number followed by the postcode.

“Take photos of any items and make a note of identifying marks such as scratches or stickers. If you are unfortunate enough to become a victim, the police may be able to identify property should it be located and return it to you.”